A story about a brother and sister, emancipated from slavery but still searching for true freedom, and their odyssey across the deserts of Mexico to escape a former master still intent on their bondage.
This is a smart, sensitive and very assured novel, albeit one that doesn’t stray radically from the winning formula of its predecessor ... Harris’s perceptive writing of the fraught relationships between Amity’s central characters is outstanding ... There are some aspects of the novel that didn’t work for me. Coleman’s slightly pompous, ornamental voice is not a natural fit for the action set pieces, which occur more frequently as the narrative progresses, and tend to slump away into lethargy. The inner lives of the novel’s core characters are also so richly rendered that the wider cast end up weirdly undertuned by comparison ... A warm-hearted and worthy contribution to the American literature of emancipation.
Unique and tense ... The narrative’s twists and turns — which include an uprising, a runaway wagon, and a return from the dead — are extremely effective. Although the pacing slows at points, such moments don’t last long ... t’s an engrossing read that offers rare insight into the post-Civil War period, making it a worthy addition to the Westerns and other historical fiction already on your shelf.
The best kind of ripping yarn: at once a love story and an illuminating historical tale. It features two likable main characters, is full of rich, detailed descriptions and an extensive cast of vivid personalities ... Nathan Harris writes with a rare sort of practical kindness that is quite remarkable. Despite the horrors endured by Coleman and June, they still find hope and eventually happiness in an overwhelmingly brutal world ... Dickensian.
